Authentic Xiaolongbao Recipe Shanghai, China

Shanghai's signature dish, xiaolongbao is a steamed, soup-filled dumpling, characterized by its distinct purse-like shape, with a pinched top and with ripples coming down its sides, a design specifically chosen with the filling in mind, as that way it is less likely the liquid will pour out. The dough is made with just flour, salt, and hot water, making the wrappers elastic and able to hold the filling better. The trick to filling the dumplings with soup is making the soup in the form of a meat broth jelly, which is mixed with the filling, traditionally pork, but today, the fillings have further diversified to include other kinds of meats and seafood, such as shrimp, crab, and roe and even vegetables. However, unlike the Shanghai-style dumplings, there is also another version, the one from Wuxi, which has sugar as part of the filling and is made with thinner dough. The assembled dumplings, which can have up to 20 pleats, are steamed in a bamboo steaming basket lined with either dried ... Read more